MoT failures show Scotland ‘has most unsafe cars in UK’

SCOTTISH towns and cities had the worst rates for major MoT failures in the UK last year, figures have shown. Motoring groups expressed alarm at the news, which they said suggested there were more unsafe cars on Scottish roads than elsewhere.

Dundee topped the test table for “major failures”, with 15.3 per cent of vehicles not getting an MoT certificate, followed by 12 other areas north of the Border.

Halfords Autocentres, which published the table using official figures, said the failure rate in Scotland was a third worse than across the UK – probably because of the weather.

It said the cost of repairs following failed tests had nearly doubled to an average of £143 compared with £82 some 18 months ago. The firm said that added up to a total bill of £1.44 billion for motorists.

The figures are likely to make further grim reading for drivers a month after the UK government announced plans to tighten up MoT tests following the revelation that faults were missed in one in four cars.

The survey found the “major failure” rate – where faults cannot be immediately fixed – was 15 per cent in Motherwell, 14.1 per cent in Glasgow, 14 per cent in Aberdeen and 12.2 per cent in Edinburgh.

The company said it was unsure why MoT failure rates were higher in Scotland. A spokeswoman said: “We can only speculate. It could be that weather conditions in Scotland are more harsh, having a bigger impact on vehicles.”

Edmund King, president of the Automobile Association, the UK’s biggest motoring group, said: “It is of concern that a higher proportion of cars in Scotland are failing the MoT as this indicates that there are more unsafe cars on the roads in Scotland.”

He said the high failure rates proved ministers had been right to tighten up the test.

He said: “We have also found that 10 per cent of drivers are cutting back on servicing their cars as a result of record fuel prices at the pumps. This means that many safety faults will only be picked up at the annual test.”

A survey found nearly a quarter of drivers just “keep their fingers crossed” and hope their car will pass.

A further 18 per cent – almost one in five – said they only “give a cursory glance around the car” before having it tested.

Neil Greig, the Scotland-based policy and research director of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: “Halfords are right to be worried that drivers treat the MoT as a quick check.

“However, the garage trade as a whole has a poor reputation and the Department of Transport has promised a review of standards in MoT testing, including secret shopping checks.

“Until drivers can be confident they are not being ripped off, many will continue to worry the MoT is a sales opportunity rather than a safety check.”

More than 25 million cars undergo MoT tests every year. Rory Carlin, marketing director of Halfords Autocentres said: “It’s a false economy to wait for the MoT and hope the car will pass.

“Most failures stem from not checking the simplest things. Problems that could have been sorted out relatively cheaply beforehand can become bigger and much more expensive problems if they are not attended to.”